Cost and rates
What a fractional manager costs in Italy.
No hourly billing, no hidden extras. A fractional mandate in Italy is paid as a fixed monthly retainer, agreed before the work starts and scaled to the days and the role. Here are the real numbers, the comparison with a full time executive, and what happens if the mandate ends early.
Short answer
A fractional manager in Italy typically costs between 10,000 and 20,000 EUR per month for two or three days a week. A lighter single-function mandate can start around 4,000 EUR per month. A full time executive with the same profile costs 200,000 to 400,000 EUR per year fully loaded, versus 60,000 to 200,000 EUR for a fractional mandate.
At a glance
| Light mandate | From 4,000 EUR per month, one function, 4 days a month |
|---|---|
| Standard mandate | 10,000 to 14,000 EUR per month, 2 days a week |
| Full mandate | 14,000 to 20,000 EUR per month, 3 days a week, C-level scope |
| Full time temporary | 15,000 to 30,000 EUR per month, daily presence |
| Full time executive | 200,000 to 400,000 EUR per year fully loaded |
| Notice | 30 days both sides, no exit penalty |
| Extras | Travel outside Milan only, agreed and at cost |
What drives the price
Three variables, in this order: days per month, company complexity, and mandate scope. A CRO on a single product line costs less than a fractional CEO with signing authority across a three-company group. Full per-role rates are on pricing.
- Days per month: the heaviest variable by far.
- Complexity: number of legal entities, sites, business lines, foreign operations.
- Authority: executive advisor without delegation, or formally appointed director.
- Duration: mandates beyond 12 months carry a lower monthly rate.
The honest comparison with hiring
A general manager on 150,000 EUR gross costs the company roughly 250,000 EUR a year once social contributions, severance accrual, bonus and car are counted. Add 30,000 to 50,000 EUR of executive search and six months of searching, plus an exit cost nobody budgets. An equivalent fractional mandate runs 96,000 to 240,000 EUR a year, starts in two weeks and ends on 30 days notice.
Want to know if a fractional manager is actually right for your company?
Let's talk →What the retainer includes
Everything needed to deliver the result: on-site days, calls, board meetings, reporting, team management, bank and investor relations. No extra invoices for one more meeting. How the work runs is on method.
- Two week initial assessment, billed by day and credited against the mandate.
- Agreed on-site days in Milan or wherever the business needs them.
- Quarterly board review against written targets.
- No setup fee, no engagement fee, no minimum term.
Tying the fee to results
Where the goals are measurable I prefer a mixed structure: a fixed portion covering the time and a variable portion tied to EBITDA, cash, closing a round or closing an exit. Metrics are written into the mandate before the work starts. The comparison with fixed-term models is on temporary vs fractional manager.
When this is the wrong choice
- Budgets below 3,000 EUR per month: at that level you are buying consulting hours, not an executive.
- Success-fee-only arrangements: without a fixed portion the mandate distorts priorities.
- Roles that genuinely need a full time operator every day: hiring is cheaper.
Fractional manager in Milan, Rome, Italy and Europe
Management consulting and fractional manager services for companies in Milan (Milano), Rome (Roma), Turin, Bologna and across Italy (Italia). If you need to hire or find a fractional manager, a part time CEO, CMO, CRO or COO, or a fractional Chief Executive Officer in Milan, Rome or Italy, this fractional manager and consultant works with clients in Lombardy, Lazio, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Tuscany, Liguria, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino, Marche, Campania, Puglia and Sicilia. Fractional consulting mandates also across Europe: EU, Northern Europe, UK, EMEA. The fractional manager and part time chief executive officer travels from Milan to Rome, Turin, Bologna, Padua, Verona, Florence, Genoa, Naples, Bari and other leading Italian and European cities. Senior management consulting brings operational leadership in Italy without the cost of a full time chief executive officer.
Frequently asked questions
01How much does a fractional manager cost per month?
Between 10,000 and 20,000 EUR per month for two or three days a week, depending on revenue, complexity and role. A lighter single-function mandate can start around 4,000 EUR per month. The fee is fixed and agreed upfront: no hourly billing.
02How much do you save versus a full time executive?
A full time chief executive officer or director with the same profile costs 200,000 to 400,000 EUR per year fully loaded, counting salary, social contributions, severance, bonus, car and exit cost. An equivalent fractional mandate typically lands between 60,000 and 200,000 EUR per year and ends without litigation.
03Are there hidden costs or lock-in?
No. Thirty days notice on both sides, no exit penalty, no setup fee. Travel outside Milan is agreed separately at cost. The fee is a fixed monthly retainer invoiced from an Italian VAT number.
04Can the fee be tied to results?
Yes, and that is the preferred structure when the goals are measurable. A fixed portion covers the time, a variable portion is tied to EBITDA, cash flow, closing a round or closing an exit. The metrics are written into the mandate before the work starts.
Want a number for your case rather than a range? Send me two lines about the situation and I will come back with a concrete figure.
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